Rotary internal-combustion engine.



H. 0. WELL.

ROTARY INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. I9, I914.

Patented June 5, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

ATTORNEYS H. C. WELL.

ROTARY-|NTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 19. 1914.

1,229,001., Patented June 5,1917.

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ROTARY iNTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 19, 1914.

Patented June 5, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

A TTORNEYS HUGO 0. WELL,

OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR 0F FORTY ONE-HUNDREDTHS T0 FREDERICK A. B. MEINHARDT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ROTARY INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 5, 191?.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HUGO C. WELL, a

subject of the Emperor of Germany, and

a resident of New York city, borough of the Bronx, in the county of the Bronx and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Rotary Internal Combustion Em gine, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention has for its object to provide an internal combustion engine with a rotor having chambers which extend through the periphery of the rotor and in which a gas is compressed from the compression chamber of a casing in which the rotor is rotatably mounted; the gas in the chambers of the rotor being ignited at a point in the rotation 'of the rotor, the expanding gas passing from the chambers in the rotor to an expansion chamber in the casing where it acts against the shoulder or abutment at the end of the expansion chamber, and a piston which is mounted in a radial guideway in the rotor.

Other objects of the invention are to mount the rotor on a shaft, to provide gearing connecting the rotor with the shaft for rotating the latter, and to provide ports in the casing with which the chambers of the rotor communicate to permit the passage of air into the chambers of the rotor, to cleanse them ofthe products of combustion before a new charge is compressed therein.

Additional objects of the invention will appear in the following specification in which the preferred form of the invention is described.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts in all the views in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of the invention, portions of the casing being brokenaway to illustrate the gearing;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4: is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating the means provided for cleansing the chambers of the rotor.

By referring to the drawings it will be seen that a casing 5 is provided which has bearings 6 in which a shaft 7 is journaled, a rotor 8 rotating co-axially with the shaft 7, the said rotor having grooves 9 in which the balls 10 are disposed, said balls engaging the shaft 7 and serving as anti-friction mountings. In the rotor 8 there are radially disposed guideways 11in which are movably disposed pistons 12, the pistons 12 beingmounted on studs 13 which are disposed through orifices 14 in the rotor and which extend into recesses 15, the pins 13 having collars 16 against which abut springs 17 which are disposed around the inner ends of the studs13-and which press against the hub 18 of the rotor. These pistons 12 are held yielding outwardly by the means described and in engagement with the curved wall of the casing 5.

The casing 5 has a compression chamber 19, the end 20 of which is disposed radially and which is provided with an inlet 21, the outer wall of the casing of the chamber being disposed adjacent the periphery of the rotor at the other end of the chamber. In the rotor 8 there are chambers 22 which communicate with the chamber 19 through the channels 23. In the drawings I show three of these chambers 22 between each pair of pistons 12, but it will be understood that any desired number of these chambers may be in the rotor between the pistons. With the rotation of the rotor a combustible gas or mixture will be drawn in through the inlet 21 into the chamber 19 in the casing and this combustible mixture will be compressed between adjacent pistons 12 and the walls of the rotor. and easing, since the walls of the rotor and easing converge as has been stated. This compressed gas or combustible mixture is forced into chambers 22 with the rotation of the rotor and the gas is ignited in the chambers 22 by the igniter 24: with which the casingis provided adjacent the expansion chamber 25. It will be noticed that the igniter 24: is disposed at one end of the casing, but as shown in Fig. 4, this will not prevent the ignition of the gas in the chambers 22, inasmuch as the abutment wall 26 and thereby rotate the rotor relative to the casing 5.

As will be seen by referring to Fig. 2 of the drawings, the outer Wall of the expansion chamber is curved in the direction of the outlet 27 at the periphery of the rotor. The outer wall of the expansion cham: ber at the end of the expansion chamber opposite the end having abutment wall 26 being disposed at the periphery of the rotor it will be understood that the gases of combustion Will expand until the piston passes the outlet or exhaust 27 when the gases of combustion will pass to the said outlet or exhaust, the chamber in which the gas has been ignited passing the ports 28 and 29 in the sides of the casing to permit the forcing of air under compression from the port 28 to the port 29 and through the said chambers 22. Disposed around the chambers 22 in the rotor 8, there are channels 31 which extend through the sides of the rotor and communicate with the ports 28 and 29 when the rotor rotates so that the. compressed air from the port 28 will not only be forced through the chambers 22, but it will also be forced through the channels 31, thereby cooling the rotor. I

' The rotor 8 has internal gear teeth 32 at each of its sides, and meshing with the said teeth 32 there are gears 33 disposed in the casing 5 and mounted on studs 34:, the said gears 33 also meshing with gears 35- on. the shaft 7.

On referring to Fig. 2 of the drawings, it will be seen that there are grooves 25 in the casing which extend through the casings inner wall. These grooves 25 aflord immediate communication between the chambers 22 and the expansion chamber 25 on the ignition of the combustible mixture in the expansion chambers. Inasmuch as the heated products of combustion will flow back in the grooves 25 they may be relied on to ignite the combustible mixture in the chambers 22 and the igniter 24 may be dispensed with. V v a Having thus described my invention, I

claim'as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In an engine ofthe class described, a rotor having chambers extending through the periphery of the rotor and air passages spaced from the chambers and extending through the sides-of the rotor, a casing inwhich the rotor is disposed and provided with a chamber having an end wall and an exhaust, means for charging the chambers ofthe rotor with a combustible mixture, means for igniting the combustible mixture in the chambers in the rotor adjacent the chamber of the casing and ports in the casing with which the ends of the air passages in the rotor register periodically withthe rotation of the rotor.

chamber in the casing, means for charging the chambers of the rotor with a combustible mixture, means for igniting the combustible mixture in the chambers of the roitor adjacent the chamber in the casing andv a port in the casing with which the chambers in the rotor communicate for the purpose specified.

3. In an engine of the class described, a stator having an abutment, a rotor having a chamber extending through an end of the rotor, a piston on the rotor disposed ad- I j acent the chamber, means at the end of the rotor for igniting the combustible mixture in the chamber, the rotor having a channel permitting the escape of the gases of combustion from the rotor chamber to thespace between the piston and the abutment, the.

adjacent surfaces of the stator and rotor being eccentric at one side for compressing between theme combustible mixture which may flow through the channel in the rotor to the rotor chamber.

4. In an engine of the class described, a rotor having chambers extending through its periphery, a casing in which the rotor is disposed and provided with a chamber having an end wall and an exhaust, means for charging the chambers of the rotor with a combustible mixture, there being a groove in the casing extending from the chamber therein, and afiording communication with} the chambers in the rotor before they reach the chamberin the casing with the rotation of the rotor, and a piston on the rotor disposed periodically at the chamber in the casing to be acted on by expanding gases abutting against the end wall of the cham. ber in'the casing.-

5. In an engine of theclass described, a stator having an abutment, a rotor having a chamber extending through the end of.

the rotor, a 'piston on the rotor disposed ad- I -]'acent the chamber, and means at the end of the rotor for igniting the combustible mixture in the chamber, the rotor: having a channel permitting the escape of the gases 6. In an engine of the class described, a

stator, a rotor having a chamber extending through the ends of the rotor, means at an end of the rotor for igniting a combustible I mixture in the'chamber, means by which the expanding gases will rotate the rotor, and scavenging means on the stator for communicating With the ends of the rotor chamber for the purpose specified.

jacent the chamber, and means at the end of the rotor for igniting a combustible mix- 10 ture in the chamber.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of tWo subscribing Witnesses.

HUGO 0. WELL. Witnesses Evnmnn B. MARSHAIL, PHILIP D. RoLLHAUs. 

